Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has alleged that the US government had pressured his company to censor content related to COVID-19 at the peak of the global pandemic. The billionaire said he regretted the company's decision to comply with the demands.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg revealed the demands put forth by the White House.&nbsp;

"In 2021, senior officials from the Biden Administration, including the White House, repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humour and satire, and expressed a lot of frustration with our teams when we didn't agree," said Zuckerberg in the letter.&nbsp;

"Ultimately, it was our decision whether or not to take content down, and we own our decisions, including COVID-19-related changes we made to our enforcement in the wake of this pressure," the letter further read.

During the pandemic, Facebook and other Meta platforms drew ire from critics worldwide for pushing lockdown, vaccine and mask mandates. Contrary viewpoints were actively censored as Meta claimed they contained misinformation related to the virus.&nbsp;

According to reports, Facebook took down more than 20 million pieces of content in just over a year, related to COVID-19.&nbsp;

"I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it. I also think we made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn't make today," said Zuckerberg.&nbsp;

"Like I said to our teams at the time, I feel strongly that we should not compromise our content standards due to pressure from any Administration in either direction and we're ready to push back if something like this happens again," he added.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/mark-zuckerberg-loses-3-billion-after-meta-outage-697410">Watch |&nbsp;Mark Zuckerberg loses $3 billion after Meta outage</a>

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<h2>Hunter Biden story demoted</h2>

Apart from censoring COVID-19 posts, Meta also buried the Hunter Biden laptop story, as confirmed by Zuckerberg in the letter&nbsp;himself.

According to him, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had approached Meta about a potential Russian disinformation operation about the Biden family and Burism before the 2020 presidential election.&nbsp;

"That fall, when we saw a New York Post story reporting on corruption allegations involving then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's family, we sent that story to fact-checkers for review and temporarily demoted it while waiting for a reply,"&nbsp;Zuckerberg said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hunter-biden-sought-father-joe-bidens-influence-to-help-land-lucrative-energy-deal-report-749963">Also read |&nbsp;Hunter Biden sought father Joe Biden's influence to help land 'lucrative' energy deal: Report</a>

"It's since been made clear that the reporting was not Russian disinformation, and in retrospect, we shouldn't have demoted the story."

Meta demoting the story allowed Joe Biden to carry on his presidential campaign unperturbed which in hindsight, may have cost him dearly if the report was allowed to remain at the forefront of the social media platform.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has alleged that the US government had pressured his company to censor content related to COVID-19 at the peak of the global pandemic. The billionaire said he regretted the company's decision to comply with the demands.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has alleged that the US government had pressured his company to censor content related to COVID-19 at the peak of the global pandemic. The billionaire said he regretted the company's decision to comply with the demands. In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg revealed the demands put forth by the White House. "In 2021, senior officials from the Biden Administration, including the White House, repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humour and satire, and expressed a lot of frustration with our teams when we didn't agree," said Zuckerberg in the letter. "Ultimately, it was our decision whether or not to take content down, and we own our decisions, including COVID-19-related changes we made to our enforcement in the wake of this pressure," the letter further read. During the pandemic, Facebook and other Meta platforms drew ire from critics worldwide for pushing lockdown, vaccine and mask mandates. Contrary viewpoints were actively censored as Meta claimed they contained misinformation related to the virus. According to reports, Facebook took down more than 20 million pieces of content in just over a year, related to COVID-19. "I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it. I also think we made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn't make today," said Zuckerberg. "Like I said to our teams at the time, I feel strongly that we should not compromise our content standards due to pressure from any Administration in either direction and we're ready to push back if something like this happens again," he added. Watch | Mark Zuckerberg loses $3 billion after Meta outage × Hunter Biden story demoted Apart from censoring COVID-19 posts, Meta also buried the Hunter Biden laptop story, as confirmed by Zuckerberg in the letter himself. According to him, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had approached Meta about a potential Russian disinformation operation about the Biden family and Burism before the 2020 presidential election. "That fall, when we saw a New York Post story reporting on corruption allegations involving then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's family, we sent that story to fact-checkers for review and temporarily demoted it while waiting for a reply," Zuckerberg said. Also read | Hunter Biden sought father Joe Biden's influence to help land 'lucrative' energy deal: Report "It's since been made clear that the reporting was not Russian disinformation, and in retrospect, we shouldn't have demoted the story." Meta demoting the story allowed Joe Biden to carry on his presidential campaign unperturbed which in hindsight, may have cost him dearly if the report was allowed to remain at the forefront of the social media platform. (With inputs from agencies)

Mark Zuckerberg reveals Biden administration 'pressured' Meta to censor Covid-related posts

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek have come out against European regulations surrounding open-source artificial intelligence, saying the continent risks falling behind because of its complex rules.

The CEOs indicated in a joint statement Friday that Europe—which hosts "more open source developers than America"—is well placed to ride the wave of openness in AI.

"Yet its fragmented regulatory structure, riddled with inconsistent implementation, is hampering innovation and holding back developers."

The CEOs indicated that the tech industry in Europe faces "overlapping regulations and inconsistent guidance on how to comply with them" instead of clear rules.

Streamlining the regulatory framework would help increase the pace of development of open-source AI; it would also support European developers and the wider creator ecosystem, they said.

The Irish privacy regulator asked Meta in June not to launch its AI models in Europe for the time being after the company was told to delay plans of harnessing data from Facebook and Instagram users.

Under the current regulations, Meta will not be in a position to release upcoming AI models such as Llama multimodal—capable of understanding images—in Europe.

This would mean Europeans will be "left with AI built for someone else," the CEOs said.

Spotify touts AI investment as key to success: According to Spotify, early investment in AI for creating personalised experiences for users has been instrumental to the streaming service's success.

What has resulted from laws designed to increase European sovereignty and competitiveness is precisely the reverse, they said, adding Europe should be "simplifying and harmonising regulations by leveraging the benefits of a single yet diverse market."

The CEOs concluded that Europe needs a different path with more explicit policies and greater consistency of implementation; otherwise, it will miss a "once-in-a-generation opportunity".

The EU Commission did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek have come out against European regulations surrounding open-source artificial intelligence, saying the continent risks falling behind because of its complex rules.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek have come out against European regulations surrounding open-source artificial intelligence, saying the continent risks falling behind because of its complex rules. The CEOs indicated in a joint statement Friday that Europe—which hosts "more open source developers than America"—is well placed to ride the wave of openness in AI. "Yet its fragmented regulatory structure, riddled with inconsistent implementation, is hampering innovation and holding back developers." The CEOs indicated that the tech industry in Europe faces "overlapping regulations and inconsistent guidance on how to comply with them" instead of clear rules. Streamlining the regulatory framework would help increase the pace of development of open-source AI; it would also support European developers and the wider creator ecosystem, they said. The Irish privacy regulator asked Meta in June not to launch its AI models in Europe for the time being after the company was told to delay plans of harnessing data from Facebook and Instagram users. Under the current regulations, Meta will not be in a position to release upcoming AI models such as Llama multimodal—capable of understanding images—in Europe. This would mean Europeans will be "left with AI built for someone else," the CEOs said. Spotify touts AI investment as key to success: According to Spotify, early investment in AI for creating personalised experiences for users has been instrumental to the streaming service's success. What has resulted from laws designed to increase European sovereignty and competitiveness is precisely the reverse, they said, adding Europe should be "simplifying and harmonising regulations by leveraging the benefits of a single yet diverse market." The CEOs concluded that Europe needs a different path with more explicit policies and greater consistency of implementation; otherwise, it will miss a "once-in-a-generation opportunity". The EU Commission did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Tech giants warn of regulatory hurdles hindering Europe's AI progress

Meta said it had discovered possible hacking attempts on the WhatsApp accounts of US officials—both from the current President Joe Biden and the former President Donald Trump administrations—and was attributing the acts to the very same Iranian hacker group revealed earlier this month to have compromised Trump's campaign.

The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp explained in a blog post that the attempt was only a "small cluster of likely social engineering activity on WhatsApp." These include a number of accounts masquerading as AOL, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft technical support.

It blocked the accounts after users reported the activity as suspicious and had not seen any evidence suggesting the targeted WhatsApp accounts had been compromised, it said.

Meta said the activity was the handiwork of APT42, a hacking group that researchers widely believe is associated with an intelligence division inside Iran's military, which places surveillance software on the mobile phones of its victims. That software, according to researchers who follow the group, gives the team the ability to record calls and steal text messages, turning on cameras and microphones sneakily.

The activity of the group is connected to efforts to breach US presidential campaigns that Microsoft and Google reported earlier this month, ahead of the US presidential election in November.

The company blog did not mention the names of people targeted, saying only that the hackers "appeared to have focused on political and diplomatic officials, business and other public figures, some associated with administrations of President Biden and former President Trump."

It added that those figures were based in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Iran, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Meta said it had discovered possible hacking attempts on the WhatsApp accounts of US officials—both from the current President Joe Biden and the former President Donald Trump administrations—and was attributing the acts to the very same Iranian hacker group revealed earlier this month to have compromised Trump's campaign.

Meta said it had discovered possible hacking attempts on the WhatsApp accounts of US officials—both from the current President Joe Biden and the former President Donald Trump administrations—and was attributing the acts to the very same Iranian hacker group revealed earlier this month to have compromised Trump's campaign. The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp explained in a blog post that the attempt was only a "small cluster of likely social engineering activity on WhatsApp." These include a number of accounts masquerading as AOL, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft technical support. It blocked the accounts after users reported the activity as suspicious and had not seen any evidence suggesting the targeted WhatsApp accounts had been compromised, it said. Meta said the activity was the handiwork of APT42, a hacking group that researchers widely believe is associated with an intelligence division inside Iran's military, which places surveillance software on the mobile phones of its victims. That software, according to researchers who follow the group, gives the team the ability to record calls and steal text messages, turning on cameras and microphones sneakily. The activity of the group is connected to efforts to breach US presidential campaigns that Microsoft and Google reported earlier this month, ahead of the US presidential election in November. The company blog did not mention the names of people targeted, saying only that the hackers "appeared to have focused on political and diplomatic officials, business and other public figures, some associated with administrations of President Biden and former President Trump." It added that those figures were based in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Iran, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Meta reports an Iranian group attempted to compromise WhatsApp accounts of officials linked to Trump and Biden

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has shut down CrowdTangle—a tool used by a huge cross-section of users, ranging from researchers to watchdog organisations and journalists, notably to track how misinformation spreads on the company's platforms.

Wednesday's shutdown, which Meta announced earlier this year, has been protested by researchers and nonprofits. Back in May, dozens of groups — including the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, Human Rights Watch, and NYU's Center for Social Media &amp; Politics — sent a letter to the company asking that it keep the tool running through at least January, so it would be available during the US presidential elections.

'This decision jeopardises essential pre- and post-election oversight mechanisms and undermines Meta's transparency efforts during this critical period, and at a time when social trust and digital democracy are alarmingly fragile,' the letter said.

'CrowdTangle has been an essential tool in helping researchers parse through the vast amount of information on the platform and identify harmful content and threats,' it added.

In March, a nonprofit called the Mozilla Foundation sent Meta a similar letter urging it to commit to keeping the tool, available for free, up and running until at least January. Several dozen groups and individual academic researchers also signed onto that letter.

'For years, CrowdTangle has represented an industry best practice for real-time platform transparency. It has become a lifeline for understanding how disinformation, hate speech, and voter suppression spread on Facebook, undermining civic discourse and democracy,' the Mozilla letter said.

Meta has published an alternative, the Meta Content Library, but access is limited to academic researchers and nonprofits, which means it's unavailable to most news organisations. Other critics have complained that it isn't as useful as CrowdTangle — not yet, at least.

According to a blog post last week by Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs, the company has been collecting feedback about Meta Content Library from "hundreds of researchers in order to make it more user-friendly and help them find the data they need for their work."

Meta said Wednesday that CrowdTangle doesn't provide a complete picture of what is happening on its platforms and said its new tools are more comprehensive.

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has shut down CrowdTangle—a tool used by a huge cross-section of users, ranging from researchers to watchdog organisations and journalists, notably to track how misinformation spreads on the company's platforms.

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has shut down CrowdTangle—a tool used by a huge cross-section of users, ranging from researchers to watchdog organisations and journalists, notably to track how misinformation spreads on the company's platforms. Wednesday's shutdown, which Meta announced earlier this year, has been protested by researchers and nonprofits. Back in May, dozens of groups — including the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, Human Rights Watch, and NYU's Center for Social Media & Politics — sent a letter to the company asking that it keep the tool running through at least January, so it would be available during the US presidential elections. 'This decision jeopardises essential pre- and post-election oversight mechanisms and undermines Meta's transparency efforts during this critical period, and at a time when social trust and digital democracy are alarmingly fragile,' the letter said. 'CrowdTangle has been an essential tool in helping researchers parse through the vast amount of information on the platform and identify harmful content and threats,' it added. In March, a nonprofit called the Mozilla Foundation sent Meta a similar letter urging it to commit to keeping the tool, available for free, up and running until at least January. Several dozen groups and individual academic researchers also signed onto that letter. 'For years, CrowdTangle has represented an industry best practice for real-time platform transparency. It has become a lifeline for understanding how disinformation, hate speech, and voter suppression spread on Facebook, undermining civic discourse and democracy,' the Mozilla letter said. Meta has published an alternative, the Meta Content Library, but access is limited to academic researchers and nonprofits, which means it's unavailable to most news organisations. Other critics have complained that it isn't as useful as CrowdTangle — not yet, at least. According to a blog post last week by Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs, the company has been collecting feedback about Meta Content Library from "hundreds of researchers in order to make it more user-friendly and help them find the data they need for their work." Meta said Wednesday that CrowdTangle doesn't provide a complete picture of what is happening on its platforms and said its new tools are more comprehensive.

Meta's controversial CrowdTangle shutdown sparks outcry amid misinformation battle

A man from Montreal, Canada, is filing a lawsuit against social networking platforms YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok claiming that they cause addiction and have a negative impact on mental health, as per CTV News.&nbsp;

The 24-year-old man said that he began utilising social media in 2015 and since then, started experiencing numerous problems with body image and productivity. As per the lawsuit, his utilisation time of social networking sites was up to four hours, but he has now cut that down to two hours a day. Philippe Brault from Lambert Avocats, the law firm representing the man said, "He still finds that it has an effect on his productivity and his sleep.”

Also Read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladeshs-st-martin-island-what-a-potential-us-airbase-could-mean-for-region-749179">What a US airbase at Bangladesh's St. Martin Island could mean for region</a>|

Brault added, "In 2024, it's estimated that humanity as a whole will be using social media for a total of 500 million years." He mentioned that the firm took this case because it is an ever-growing problem for everyone. He highlighted that 52 per cent of children in Canada between the ages of seven and eleven use social media.&nbsp;

The aim of the case is to recover these punitive damages for the purportedly careless platform designs of social media companies. Brault also highlighted that platform owners should prioritise the safety and health of their users.&nbsp;

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-presidential-campaign-hacked-iranian-actors-blamed-by-his-team-749057">Trump's prez campaign hacked, Iranian actors blamed by his team</a>|

The design of these social media platforms exploits the psychological weaknesses of their users, leading to extended engagements that negatively impact the user's daily lives.

"We're also looking to get this message out there by talking to the media. People have to understand the risks of the use of social media," he added.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A man from Montreal, Canada, is filing a lawsuit against social networking platforms YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok claiming that they cause addiction and have a negative impact on mental health, as per CTV News.

A man from Montreal, Canada, is filing a lawsuit against social networking platforms YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok claiming that they cause addiction and have a negative impact on mental health, as per CTV News. The 24-year-old man said that he began utilising social media in 2015 and since then, started experiencing numerous problems with body image and productivity. As per the lawsuit, his utilisation time of social networking sites was up to four hours, but he has now cut that down to two hours a day. Philippe Brault from Lambert Avocats, the law firm representing the man said, "He still finds that it has an effect on his productivity and his sleep.” Also Read|What a US airbase at Bangladesh's St. Martin Island could mean for region| Brault added, "In 2024, it's estimated that humanity as a whole will be using social media for a total of 500 million years." He mentioned that the firm took this case because it is an ever-growing problem for everyone. He highlighted that 52 per cent of children in Canada between the ages of seven and eleven use social media. The aim of the case is to recover these punitive damages for the purportedly careless platform designs of social media companies. Brault also highlighted that platform owners should prioritise the safety and health of their users. Also Read |Trump's prez campaign hacked, Iranian actors blamed by his team| The design of these social media platforms exploits the psychological weaknesses of their users, leading to extended engagements that negatively impact the user's daily lives. "We're also looking to get this message out there by talking to the media. People have to understand the risks of the use of social media," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Canada man sues social networking sites Meta, TikTok, and Reddit for being addictive

Meta and Google are being&nbsp;accused of conducting a covert advertising campaign that targeted teenagers on YouTube with Instagram ads, in violation of Google's own policies. The ad campaign, reported by the Financial Times, has raised serious concerns about the companies' practices and their adherence to advertising regulations.

The Financial Times reported that Meta and Google collaborated to show Instagram ads to users aged 13 to 17 on YouTube, despite Google's strict policies against advertising to individuals under 18. The ads were aimed at a demographic categorised as "unknown" in Google's advertising system—a label typically used for users whose age, gender, or other demographics are not identified.

The report added that it appears that Google could leverage data from app downloads and online behaviour to accurately infer that many of these "unknown" users were, in fact, teenagers. This manoeuvre effectively dodges the restrictions Google implemented in 2021 which were designed to block ads targeting minors based on their age, gender, or interests.

The campaign was reportedly executed with the assistance of Spark Foundry, a US-based advertising agency. It initially ran in Canada and was tested in the United States in May, with plans for a global rollout. According to the report, the&nbsp;campaign's timing coincided with a decline in Google's ad revenue and a shift of Meta's younger user base to rival platforms like TikTok.

Once the story was out, Google said they launched an internal investigation and promptly cancelled the program.&nbsp;

In a statement, Google said it is committed to protecting minors.

"We prohibit ads being personalised to people under 18, period."&nbsp;

The company also said that it will strengthen its policies and ensure that its sales teams fully comply with these standards to prevent future violations.

Also watch |&nbsp;EU accuses Meta of breaking digital rules with ad-free option

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In 2023, Meta introduced changes to its ad system, removing the option to target users under 18 by gender on Facebook and Instagram. These updates were intended to ensure that teens only see age-appropriate ads relevant to the products and services available in their region.

The development has sparked a broader debate about the extent to which tech companies may go to preserve their influence and advertising revenue, even if it means bending their own rules.

(With inputs from agencies)

Meta and Google are being accused of conducting a covert advertising campaign that targeted teenagers on YouTube with Instagram ads, in violation of Google's own policies.

Meta and Google are being accused of conducting a covert advertising campaign that targeted teenagers on YouTube with Instagram ads, in violation of Google's own policies. The ad campaign, reported by the Financial Times, has raised serious concerns about the companies' practices and their adherence to advertising regulations. The Financial Times reported that Meta and Google collaborated to show Instagram ads to users aged 13 to 17 on YouTube, despite Google's strict policies against advertising to individuals under 18. The ads were aimed at a demographic categorised as "unknown" in Google's advertising system—a label typically used for users whose age, gender, or other demographics are not identified. The report added that it appears that Google could leverage data from app downloads and online behaviour to accurately infer that many of these "unknown" users were, in fact, teenagers. This manoeuvre effectively dodges the restrictions Google implemented in 2021 which were designed to block ads targeting minors based on their age, gender, or interests. The campaign was reportedly executed with the assistance of Spark Foundry, a US-based advertising agency. It initially ran in Canada and was tested in the United States in May, with plans for a global rollout. According to the report, the campaign's timing coincided with a decline in Google's ad revenue and a shift of Meta's younger user base to rival platforms like TikTok. Once the story was out, Google said they launched an internal investigation and promptly cancelled the program. In a statement, Google said it is committed to protecting minors. "We prohibit ads being personalised to people under 18, period." The company also said that it will strengthen its policies and ensure that its sales teams fully comply with these standards to prevent future violations. Also watch | EU accuses Meta of breaking digital rules with ad-free option × In 2023, Meta introduced changes to its ad system, removing the option to target users under 18 by gender on Facebook and Instagram. These updates were intended to ensure that teens only see age-appropriate ads relevant to the products and services available in their region. The development has sparked a broader debate about the extent to which tech companies may go to preserve their influence and advertising revenue, even if it means bending their own rules. (With inputs from agencies)

Google, Meta bend their own rules to target teenagers with ad campaigns: Report

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is eyeing celebrities in Hollywood for voices to be used in its artificial intelligence pursuits. According to sources familiar with the talks, Meta is offering millions of dollars to stars like Judi Dench, Awkwafina, and Keegan-Michael Key. These negotiations come while Meta representatives decline to comment, as the firm races to finalise all deals ahead of its Connect 2024 event this September, where it plans to roll out a suite of AI tools.

Though exactly what uses Meta is planning to have for the celebrity voices remain somewhat nebulous, it did say it could be a chatbot meant to be more of a digital assistant—like Apple's Siri—or even a digital companion. For example, users could speak with a chatbot that has the voice of Awkwafina. However, the negotiations have become bumpier than expected, with repeated stops as Meta and the representatives struggle over terms. Meta wants to secure rights to the voices for just one project and a fixed term, while representatives for actors are pushing for more restrictive terms.

There are huge fears in the creative community over the use of artificial intelligence—several people have feared losing their jobs. Labour stoppages last year saw screenwriters and actors demanding protection against the use of AI. Yet SAG-AFTRA, the primary union for actors, has reached an agreement with Meta on terms, according to the people.

Meta has a history of testing celebrity-inspired text-based chatbots; it has worked with celebrities like Dwyane Wade and Paris Hilton. Though that program is now defunct, the innovations never really stopped, as Meta recently opened an AI studio that gives content creators the chance to develop chatbots in their likeness.

By trying to bring celebrity voices into its AI projects, Meta company is stressing continuous betterment in user interaction via AI technology. As the company navigates these complex negotiations, the potential to transform digital assistance by recognisable voices could create a new baseline for the AI industry.

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is eyeing celebrities in Hollywood for voices to be used in its artificial intelligence pursuits.

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is eyeing celebrities in Hollywood for voices to be used in its artificial intelligence pursuits. According to sources familiar with the talks, Meta is offering millions of dollars to stars like Judi Dench, Awkwafina, and Keegan-Michael Key. These negotiations come while Meta representatives decline to comment, as the firm races to finalise all deals ahead of its Connect 2024 event this September, where it plans to roll out a suite of AI tools. Though exactly what uses Meta is planning to have for the celebrity voices remain somewhat nebulous, it did say it could be a chatbot meant to be more of a digital assistant—like Apple's Siri—or even a digital companion. For example, users could speak with a chatbot that has the voice of Awkwafina. However, the negotiations have become bumpier than expected, with repeated stops as Meta and the representatives struggle over terms. Meta wants to secure rights to the voices for just one project and a fixed term, while representatives for actors are pushing for more restrictive terms. There are huge fears in the creative community over the use of artificial intelligence—several people have feared losing their jobs. Labour stoppages last year saw screenwriters and actors demanding protection against the use of AI. Yet SAG-AFTRA, the primary union for actors, has reached an agreement with Meta on terms, according to the people. Meta has a history of testing celebrity-inspired text-based chatbots; it has worked with celebrities like Dwyane Wade and Paris Hilton. Though that program is now defunct, the innovations never really stopped, as Meta recently opened an AI studio that gives content creators the chance to develop chatbots in their likeness. By trying to bring celebrity voices into its AI projects, Meta company is stressing continuous betterment in user interaction via AI technology. As the company navigates these complex negotiations, the potential to transform digital assistance by recognisable voices could create a new baseline for the AI industry.

Meta eyes celebrity voices for AI, offer multi-million dollar deals

Turkey has blocked access to social media platform Instagram, the infotech regulator said on Friday, without stating a reason or duration for the ban, which also left the platform's mobile app inaccessible. The move follows comments on Wednesday by Turkish communications official Fahrettin Altun, criticizing the platform for what he called its decision to block condolence posts on the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, a key official of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Turkey response to META'S Censorship: Instagram blocked without stating reason or duration | WION

American tech giant Meta on Tuesday (Jul 30) agreed to pay $1.4 billion to settle&nbsp;a lawsuit filed by the state of&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;over the illegal collection of biometric data of millions of Texans using facial-recognition technology.

Meta will have to pay the amount over the next five years.

A spokesperson of the California-based company said it was happy to resolve the matter. The statement added the company was looking forward to&nbsp;"exploring future opportunities to deepen our business investments in Texas, including potentially developing data centers."

However, the company still denies any wrongdoing.

The lawsuit was filed under the 2009 biometric privacy law of Texas in 2022 and was the first major case to be filed under this legislation.

The law provides for fines and damages worth $25,000 per violation.

The amount marks the largest accord ever by any single state, according to the lawyers for the state of&nbsp;Texas.

<h2>Allegations against Facebook</h2>

As per allegations, Meta captured biometric data of its users&nbsp;&nbsp;"billions of times" using photos and videos uploaded on its platforms using a free, now-discontinued feature called&nbsp;"Tag Suggestions."

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjP57v3gs-HAxUYRmwGHYhrABgQxfQBKAB6BAgLEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/facebook-targeting-trump-meta-calls-july-13-assassination-attempt-fictional-event-and-misinformation-745472" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/trending/facebook-targeting-trump-meta-calls-july-13-assassination-attempt-fictional-event-and-misinformation-745472&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjP57v3gs-HAxUYRmwGHYhrABgQxfQBKAB6BAgLEAE">Facebook targeting Trump? Meta calls July 13 assassination attempt 'fictional event' and 'misinformation'</a>

The lawsuit was filed by&nbsp;Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, claiming Meta did so without obtaining consent from the users.

<h2>Reaction from Texas attorney</h2>

The Texas attorney said any abuse of Texans' sensitive data will be met with "the full force of the law.”

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjP57v3gs-HAxUYRmwGHYhrABgQxfQBKAB6BAgOEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/meta-braces-for-first-eu-antitrust-fine-744219" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/meta-braces-for-first-eu-antitrust-fine-744219&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjP57v3gs-HAxUYRmwGHYhrABgQxfQBKAB6BAgOEAE">Meta braces for first EU antitrust fine</a>

“This historic settlement demonstrates our commitment to standing up to the world’s biggest technology companies and holding them accountable for breaking the law and violating Texans’ privacy rights,” Paxton added.

<h2>Similar lawsuit against Alphabet</h2>

The attorney said he was pursuing a similar case against&nbsp;Alphabet, accusing&nbsp;the Google owner of illegally collecting biometric data from millions of Texans.

(With inputs from agencies)

American tech giant Meta on Tuesday (Jul 30) agreed to pay $1.4 billion to settle a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas over the illegal collection of biometric data of millions of Texans using facial-recognition technology.

American tech giant Meta on Tuesday (Jul 30) agreed to pay $1.4 billion to settle a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas over the illegal collection of biometric data of millions of Texans using facial-recognition technology. Meta will have to pay the amount over the next five years. A spokesperson of the California-based company said it was happy to resolve the matter. The statement added the company was looking forward to "exploring future opportunities to deepen our business investments in Texas, including potentially developing data centers." However, the company still denies any wrongdoing. The lawsuit was filed under the 2009 biometric privacy law of Texas in 2022 and was the first major case to be filed under this legislation. The law provides for fines and damages worth $25,000 per violation. The amount marks the largest accord ever by any single state, according to the lawyers for the state of Texas. Allegations against Facebook As per allegations, Meta captured biometric data of its users "billions of times" using photos and videos uploaded on its platforms using a free, now-discontinued feature called "Tag Suggestions." Also read: Facebook targeting Trump? Meta calls July 13 assassination attempt 'fictional event' and 'misinformation' The lawsuit was filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, claiming Meta did so without obtaining consent from the users. Reaction from Texas attorney The Texas attorney said any abuse of Texans' sensitive data will be met with "the full force of the law.” Also read: Meta braces for first EU antitrust fine “This historic settlement demonstrates our commitment to standing up to the world’s biggest technology companies and holding them accountable for breaking the law and violating Texans’ privacy rights,” Paxton added. Similar lawsuit against Alphabet The attorney said he was pursuing a similar case against Alphabet, accusing the Google owner of illegally collecting biometric data from millions of Texans. (With inputs from agencies)

Texas biometric data lawsuit: Meta agrees to pay $1.4bn over illegal use of facial-recognition tech

Facebook has acknowledged that it mistakenly censored the iconic image of former President Donald Trump taken shortly after the July 13 assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. The image that went viral&nbsp;showing&nbsp;Trump defiantly raising his fist and shouting 'fight' even as blood streams down his face, was flagged as misinformation on Meta's Facebook.

The controversy surrounding Facebook is further compounded by the fact that Meta's chatbot, Meta AI, incorrectly referred to the assassination attempt as "fictional" in some responses.&nbsp;

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:150,&quot;w&quot;:649,&quot;h&quot;:26,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2139}">Facebook and censorship</h2>

A Facebook user who goes by the username 'End Wokeness' reported that he even faced threats of deplatforming for sharing the very real image.

Also read |&nbsp;<a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:244,&quot;w&quot;:616,&quot;h&quot;:33,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2233}" href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/president-donaldduck-elon-musk-claims-google-biased-against-trump-interfering-in-us-elections-745191">President Donald...Duck?: Elon Musk claims Google biased against Trump, interfering in US Elections</a>

Taking to social media platform X, the user 'End Wokeness' said, "Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg called the Trump fist image 'one of the most badass things I've ever seen' 10 days ago. Facebook is now censoring that image."

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg called the Trump fist image "one of the most badass things I've ever seen" 10 days ago. 
 
Facebook is now censoring that image. <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:266,&quot;y&quot;:483,&quot;w&quot;:166,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:299,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2472}" href="https://t.co/7ErQ7kZWaR">pic.twitter.com/7ErQ7kZWaR</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:424,&quot;y&quot;:512,&quot;w&quot;:77,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:457,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2501}" href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1817944478352589155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The post had over 884k views within 15 hours.

Also on X, Dani Lever, a spokesperson for Meta, Facebook's parent company, admitted the "mistake" on Monday.&nbsp;

"Yes, this was an error," Lever stated on X, responding to conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:691,&quot;w&quot;:640,&quot;h&quot;:33,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2680}" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/trump-calls-olympics-opening-ceremony-a-disgrace-last-supper-drag-show-a-terrible-thing-heres-why-745459">Trump calls Olympics opening ceremony a 'disgrace', 'Last Supper' drag show a 'terrible thing'. Here's why</a>

"This fact check was initially applied to a doctored photo showing the secret service agents smiling, and in some cases our systems incorrectly applied that fact check to the real photo," she explained.

"This has been fixed and we apologise for the mistake," she further said.

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Yes, this was an error. This fact check was initially applied to a doctored photo showing the secret service agents smiling, and in some cases our systems incorrectly applied that fact check to the real photo. This has been fixed and we apologize for the mistake.
— Dani Lever (@Dani_Lever) <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:402,&quot;y&quot;:976,&quot;w&quot;:77,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:435,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2965}" href="https://twitter.com/Dani_Lever/status/1817954271406538800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The clarification has been met with scepticism from some X users, with remarks suggesting that such errors disproportionately affect conservative viewpoints.&nbsp;

One user noted, "Funny that the 'errors' only ever go in one direction," while others expressed disbelief and frustration over Meta's handling of the situation.

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1144,&quot;w&quot;:649,&quot;h&quot;:26,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3133}">Meta Chatbot AI calls Trump assassination "fictional"</h2>

Facebook has also come under fire for incorrectly referring to the assassination attempt as "fictional" in some responses.&nbsp;

Users reported on social media that when asked about Donald Trump's July 13 assassination attempt, the Meta AI chatbot called it a "fictional event". In contrast, it readily answered questions about Trump's political rival Kamala Harris' 2024 presidential campaign, calling that a "real and ongoing event".

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Meta AI says the Trump assassination attempt is a fictional event. Huh? 
But I was a "conspiracy theorist" for saying that the covid vaccines weren't researched enough. 
OK 🤡 <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:292,&quot;y&quot;:1432,&quot;w&quot;:160,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:325,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3421}" href="https://t.co/Z1vdOKvGj4">pic.twitter.com/Z1vdOKvGj4</a>
— Aida Reva (@RevaAida) <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:394,&quot;y&quot;:1460,&quot;w&quot;:77,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:427,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3449}" href="https://twitter.com/RevaAida/status/1817923506715152612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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A Meta spokesperson, as per the New York Post, has acknowledged the problem and stated that efforts are underway to correct inaccuracies in the chatbot's responses.

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1527,&quot;w&quot;:649,&quot;h&quot;:33,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3516}">Google and election interference</h2>

Google has also faced criticism, particularly regarding its search engine's autocomplete function that, when searched for "President Donald" skipped "Trump" in results. Instead, it came up with "President Donald Duck" and "President Donald Reagan".

<img alt="President Donald Duck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e659693c-a4bc-4822-a019-9d0749050dd8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New%20wion%20-%202024-07-30T115019.588.png" />

(With inputs from agencies)

Facebook has acknowledged that it mistakenly censored the iconic image of former President Donald Trump taken shortly after the July 13 assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.

Facebook has acknowledged that it mistakenly censored the iconic image of former President Donald Trump taken shortly after the July 13 assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. The image that went viral showing Trump defiantly raising his fist and shouting 'fight' even as blood streams down his face, was flagged as misinformation on Meta's Facebook. The controversy surrounding Facebook is further compounded by the fact that Meta's chatbot, Meta AI, incorrectly referred to the assassination attempt as "fictional" in some responses. Facebook and censorship A Facebook user who goes by the username 'End Wokeness' reported that he even faced threats of deplatforming for sharing the very real image. Also read | President Donald...Duck?: Elon Musk claims Google biased against Trump, interfering in US Elections Taking to social media platform X, the user 'End Wokeness' said, "Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg called the Trump fist image 'one of the most badass things I've ever seen' 10 days ago. Facebook is now censoring that image." Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg called the Trump fist image "one of the most badass things I've ever seen" 10 days ago. Facebook is now censoring that image. pic.twitter.com/7ErQ7kZWaR — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 29, 2024 × The post had over 884k views within 15 hours. Also on X, Dani Lever, a spokesperson for Meta, Facebook's parent company, admitted the "mistake" on Monday. "Yes, this was an error," Lever stated on X, responding to conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. Also read | Trump calls Olympics opening ceremony a 'disgrace', 'Last Supper' drag show a 'terrible thing'. Here's why "This fact check was initially applied to a doctored photo showing the secret service agents smiling, and in some cases our systems incorrectly applied that fact check to the real photo," she explained. "This has been fixed and we apologise for the mistake," she further said. Yes, this was an error. This fact check was initially applied to a doctored photo showing the secret service agents smiling, and in some cases our systems incorrectly applied that fact check to the real photo. This has been fixed and we apologize for the mistake. — Dani Lever (@Dani_Lever) July 29, 2024 × The clarification has been met with scepticism from some X users, with remarks suggesting that such errors disproportionately affect conservative viewpoints. One user noted, "Funny that the 'errors' only ever go in one direction," while others expressed disbelief and frustration over Meta's handling of the situation. Meta Chatbot AI calls Trump assassination "fictional" Facebook has also come under fire for incorrectly referring to the assassination attempt as "fictional" in some responses. Users reported on social media that when asked about Donald Trump's July 13 assassination attempt, the Meta AI chatbot called it a "fictional event". In contrast, it readily answered questions about Trump's political rival Kamala Harris' 2024 presidential campaign, calling that a "real and ongoing event". Meta AI says the Trump assassination attempt is a fictional event. Huh? But I was a "conspiracy theorist" for saying that the covid vaccines weren't researched enough. OK 🤡 pic.twitter.com/Z1vdOKvGj4 — Aida Reva (@RevaAida) July 29, 2024 × A Meta spokesperson, as per the New York Post, has acknowledged the problem and stated that efforts are underway to correct inaccuracies in the chatbot's responses. Google and election interference Google has also faced criticism, particularly regarding its search engine's autocomplete function that, when searched for "President Donald" skipped "Trump" in results. Instead, it came up with "President Donald Duck" and "President Donald Reagan". (With inputs from agencies)

Facebook targeting Trump? Meta calls July 13 assassination attempt 'fictional event' and 'misinformation'

Meta Platforms is close to having to pay its first antitrust fine in the European Union, according to those familiar with the matter, after regulators have decided the company's alleged anti-competitive practices.

The tech giant is under pressure over its classified ads service, Facebook Marketplace, which the EU Commission believes has been unfairly bundled with the core Facebook social network.

Furthermore, it's alleged by the Commission that Meta has imposed unfavourable terms on rival classified ad services advertising on its platforms.

It could be as high as $13.4 billion, although past EU fines indicate that the actual fine will likely be much lower.

The Commission is to adopt its final decision in the next few months before antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager leaves in November.

Meta has always denied any wrongdoing, arguing its product innovations benefit consumers and rivals alike. Indeed, it even attempted to settle an investigation by offering limits on how it uses competitor advertising data to boost Facebook Marketplace, but this was rejected by the EU.

It is the latest of a line in regulatory challenges for Meta, already facing a separate charge at the Commission over its failure to comply with new tech rules about its ad model.

With the digital world evolving, there has been increased pressure on tech giants to observe antitrust regulations.

If the court rules against Meta, this could dramatically change how it works in Europe and might set a legally binding precedent for future antitrust actions against other tech companies.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Meta Platforms is close to having to pay its first antitrust fine in the European Union, according to those familiar with the matter, after regulators have decided the company's alleged anti-competitive practices.

Meta Platforms is close to having to pay its first antitrust fine in the European Union, according to those familiar with the matter, after regulators have decided the company's alleged anti-competitive practices. The tech giant is under pressure over its classified ads service, Facebook Marketplace, which the EU Commission believes has been unfairly bundled with the core Facebook social network. Furthermore, it's alleged by the Commission that Meta has imposed unfavourable terms on rival classified ad services advertising on its platforms. It could be as high as $13.4 billion, although past EU fines indicate that the actual fine will likely be much lower. The Commission is to adopt its final decision in the next few months before antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager leaves in November. Meta has always denied any wrongdoing, arguing its product innovations benefit consumers and rivals alike. Indeed, it even attempted to settle an investigation by offering limits on how it uses competitor advertising data to boost Facebook Marketplace, but this was rejected by the EU. It is the latest of a line in regulatory challenges for Meta, already facing a separate charge at the Commission over its failure to comply with new tech rules about its ad model. With the digital world evolving, there has been increased pressure on tech giants to observe antitrust regulations. If the court rules against Meta, this could dramatically change how it works in Europe and might set a legally binding precedent for future antitrust actions against other tech companies. (With inputs from Reuters)

Meta braces for first EU antitrust fine

Friday saw a global tech outage that turned out to be quite a headache for social media giant Meta, with massive disruptions at airports, banks, and hospitals. According to a spokesperson at Meta, among those hit by the outage were a number of external vendors who police content on Meta's platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.

A source familiar with the incident says Meta was on high alert—what's internally called a SEV1. According to sources, it is the highest level of warning internally, a "code red" situation where work stops and everyone is fixated on the problem. However, the spokesperson said the company resolved the issues earlier in the day.

"The global CrowdStrike outage earlier today temporarily impacted several of the tools used by some of our vendors. While this caused a small impact to some of our support operations, there was minimal to no impact on our content moderation efforts," the spokesperson said.

Like other social media companies, Meta uses a mix of AI and humans to police millions of posts on its platforms. While some moderation is done in-house, most of it is outsourced to business service vendors. These vendors employ thousands of low-paid workers who assess posts for hate speech, violence, and other violations of Meta's guidelines.

Specifically, this outage affected two important systems: SRT and HumanOps—both are used to route flagged content to moderators. The key vendors whose operations were impacted by this disruption included Teleperformance and Concentrix. Teleperformance did not respond to a request for comment. Concentrix said it was monitoring and addressing the impacts of the outage, but its operations continued at expected levels.

This incident has brought to the fore the weaknesses in Meta's content moderation infrastructure, which depends a great deal on external vendors to keep the integrity of the platforms. All through this, though, the pliability and strength of Meta's systems will always be a crucial factor in ensuring seamless content moderation and user experience.

Friday saw a global tech outage that turned out to be quite a headache for social media giant Meta, with massive disruptions at airports, banks, and hospitals. According to a spokesperson at Meta, among those hit by the outage were a number of external vendors who police content on Meta's platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.

Friday saw a global tech outage that turned out to be quite a headache for social media giant Meta, with massive disruptions at airports, banks, and hospitals. According to a spokesperson at Meta, among those hit by the outage were a number of external vendors who police content on Meta's platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads. A source familiar with the incident says Meta was on high alert—what's internally called a SEV1. According to sources, it is the highest level of warning internally, a "code red" situation where work stops and everyone is fixated on the problem. However, the spokesperson said the company resolved the issues earlier in the day. "The global CrowdStrike outage earlier today temporarily impacted several of the tools used by some of our vendors. While this caused a small impact to some of our support operations, there was minimal to no impact on our content moderation efforts," the spokesperson said. Like other social media companies, Meta uses a mix of AI and humans to police millions of posts on its platforms. While some moderation is done in-house, most of it is outsourced to business service vendors. These vendors employ thousands of low-paid workers who assess posts for hate speech, violence, and other violations of Meta's guidelines. Specifically, this outage affected two important systems: SRT and HumanOps—both are used to route flagged content to moderators. The key vendors whose operations were impacted by this disruption included Teleperformance and Concentrix. Teleperformance did not respond to a request for comment. Concentrix said it was monitoring and addressing the impacts of the outage, but its operations continued at expected levels. This incident has brought to the fore the weaknesses in Meta's content moderation infrastructure, which depends a great deal on external vendors to keep the integrity of the platforms. All through this, though, the pliability and strength of Meta's systems will always be a crucial factor in ensuring seamless content moderation and user experience.

Meta faces 'SEV1' crisis amid global tech outage disruptions

Meta has announced the removal of previous restrictions on the Facebook and Instagram accounts of former President Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 US presidential elections.

Trump was initially allowed to return to these social networks in 2023 with specific "guardrails" in place, following a ban related to his online behaviour during the January 6 Capitol insurrection.

Meta has now lifted these guardrails.

"In assessing our responsibility to allow political expression, we believe that the American people should be able to hear from the nominees for president on the same basis," Meta stated in a blog post.

The development comes ahead of the Republican National Convention next week in which the presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will be formally named&nbsp;the party’s candidate.

Meta confirmed that Trump’s accounts will no longer be subject to heightened suspension penalties, which were established in response to "extreme and extraordinary circumstances" but have not been used.

"All US presidential candidates remain subject to the same community standards as all Facebook and Instagram users, including those policies designed to prevent hate speech and incitement to violence," Meta emphasized in its blog post.

Since his reinstatement on Meta's platforms, Trump has primarily used his accounts to share campaign information, criticise Democratic candidate Joe Biden, and post memes. Trump himself has not engaged in hyper-aggressive posts on X (Twitter) as was the case before January 6, 2021.&nbsp;

Trump critics and online safety advocates have expressed concerns that his return could lead to increased misinformation and incitement of violence similar to the events that led to his initial ban.

The Biden campaign condemned Meta's move&nbsp;calling&nbsp;it a "greedy, reckless decision" and a "direct attack on our safety and our democracy."

"Restoring his access is like handing your car keys to someone you know will drive your car into a crowd and off a cliff," campaign spokesperson Charles Kretchmer Lutvak was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-blames-biden-and-his-people-for-hush-money-conviction-727495">Donald Trump blames 'Biden and his people' for hush money conviction</a>

"It is holding a megaphone for a bonafide racist who will shout his hate and white supremacy from the rooftops and try to take it mainstream."

In addition to Meta platforms, other major social media firms also banned Trump due to his online activity related to the January 6 attack, including Twitter (now X), Snapchat, and YouTube.

Also watch |&nbsp;US: Meta rolls back restrictions on Trump’s social media accounts

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Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter in 2022, allowed Trump back on the platform last year.&nbsp;He returned to YouTube in March 2023 but remains banned from Snapchat.

Trump launched his own social network, TruthSocial, in early 2022.

(With inputs from agencies)

Meta has announced the removal of previous restrictions on the Facebook and Instagram accounts of former President Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 US presidential elections.

Meta has announced the removal of previous restrictions on the Facebook and Instagram accounts of former President Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 US presidential elections. Trump was initially allowed to return to these social networks in 2023 with specific "guardrails" in place, following a ban related to his online behaviour during the January 6 Capitol insurrection. Meta has now lifted these guardrails. "In assessing our responsibility to allow political expression, we believe that the American people should be able to hear from the nominees for president on the same basis," Meta stated in a blog post. The development comes ahead of the Republican National Convention next week in which the presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will be formally named the party’s candidate. Meta confirmed that Trump’s accounts will no longer be subject to heightened suspension penalties, which were established in response to "extreme and extraordinary circumstances" but have not been used. "All US presidential candidates remain subject to the same community standards as all Facebook and Instagram users, including those policies designed to prevent hate speech and incitement to violence," Meta emphasized in its blog post. Since his reinstatement on Meta's platforms, Trump has primarily used his accounts to share campaign information, criticise Democratic candidate Joe Biden, and post memes. Trump himself has not engaged in hyper-aggressive posts on X (Twitter) as was the case before January 6, 2021. Trump critics and online safety advocates have expressed concerns that his return could lead to increased misinformation and incitement of violence similar to the events that led to his initial ban. The Biden campaign condemned Meta's move calling it a "greedy, reckless decision" and a "direct attack on our safety and our democracy." "Restoring his access is like handing your car keys to someone you know will drive your car into a crowd and off a cliff," campaign spokesperson Charles Kretchmer Lutvak was quoted as saying by The Guardian. Also read | Donald Trump blames 'Biden and his people' for hush money conviction "It is holding a megaphone for a bonafide racist who will shout his hate and white supremacy from the rooftops and try to take it mainstream." In addition to Meta platforms, other major social media firms also banned Trump due to his online activity related to the January 6 attack, including Twitter (now X), Snapchat, and YouTube. Also watch | US: Meta rolls back restrictions on Trump’s social media accounts × Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter in 2022, allowed Trump back on the platform last year. He returned to YouTube in March 2023 but remains banned from Snapchat. Trump launched his own social network, TruthSocial, in early 2022. (With inputs from agencies)

Donald Trump wins back restriction-free access to Meta platforms

Meta Platforms announced Tuesday it would lift its blanket ban on the term "shaheed," meaning "martyr" in English, following a year-long review by its oversight board, citing the company's approach had been "overbroad".

The social media giant, which operates under Facebook and Instagram, has made many headlines and criticism over its content policy in the Middle East. A 2021 study commissioned by Meta itself, revealed such an approach had an "adverse human rights impact" on Palestinian and other Arabic-speaking users of its services. Criticism escalated when hostilities between Israel and Hamas ratcheted up last October.

The oversight board may be paid for by Meta, but it is independent and began its review last year. It found that "shaheed" was responsible for more content removals on Meta's platforms than any other single word or phrase. A review from March finished with the conclusion that the rules at Meta did not appropriately contemplate the divergent meanings attributed to "shaheed," which led to the takedown of many pieces of content unnecessarily that did not advocate violence.

On Tuesday, Meta acknowledged the findings of the review. According to the company, its own internal tests indicated that the removal of content where "shaheed" was "paired with otherwise violating content ​​captures the most potentially harmful content without disproportionately impacting the voice".&nbsp;

The oversight board welcomed the change, saying Meta's policy had resulted in the censorship of millions of people across its platforms. The change will help create a more inclusive space for Arabic-speaking users and all those talking about sensitive topics.

The decision to lift the blanket ban on "shaheed" is a tectonic change in the content moderation policy of Meta. This change could represent how the company is increasingly recognising that culturally nuanced and context-sensitive approaches to content regulation are needed. Hence, this new policy not only protects the freedom of expression of users but also mitigates possible negative human rights impacts as identified in the 2021 study. This step by Meta sets the precedent for more balanced and inclusive moderation practices of content on its platforms as it refines its policies.

Meta Platforms announced Tuesday it would lift its blanket ban on the term "shaheed," meaning "martyr" in English, following a year-long review by its oversight board, citing the company's approach had been "overbroad".

Meta Platforms announced Tuesday it would lift its blanket ban on the term "shaheed," meaning "martyr" in English, following a year-long review by its oversight board, citing the company's approach had been "overbroad". The social media giant, which operates under Facebook and Instagram, has made many headlines and criticism over its content policy in the Middle East. A 2021 study commissioned by Meta itself, revealed such an approach had an "adverse human rights impact" on Palestinian and other Arabic-speaking users of its services. Criticism escalated when hostilities between Israel and Hamas ratcheted up last October. The oversight board may be paid for by Meta, but it is independent and began its review last year. It found that "shaheed" was responsible for more content removals on Meta's platforms than any other single word or phrase. A review from March finished with the conclusion that the rules at Meta did not appropriately contemplate the divergent meanings attributed to "shaheed," which led to the takedown of many pieces of content unnecessarily that did not advocate violence. On Tuesday, Meta acknowledged the findings of the review. According to the company, its own internal tests indicated that the removal of content where "shaheed" was "paired with otherwise violating content captures the most potentially harmful content without disproportionately impacting the voice". The oversight board welcomed the change, saying Meta's policy had resulted in the censorship of millions of people across its platforms. The change will help create a more inclusive space for Arabic-speaking users and all those talking about sensitive topics. The decision to lift the blanket ban on "shaheed" is a tectonic change in the content moderation policy of Meta. This change could represent how the company is increasingly recognising that culturally nuanced and context-sensitive approaches to content regulation are needed. Hence, this new policy not only protects the freedom of expression of users but also mitigates possible negative human rights impacts as identified in the 2021 study. This step by Meta sets the precedent for more balanced and inclusive moderation practices of content on its platforms as it refines its policies.

Meta lifts ban on 'shaheed': balancing moderation with cultural sensitivity

Meta accused by EU regulators of breaching antitrust rules over its ad-supported subscription service. The European commission labels Meta's model a "pay or consent" approach, requiring users to either pay for an ad-free experience or agree to personalized advertising based on data processing. Introduced last year for Facebook and Instagram in Europe, this service arose from privacy concerns and a European court of justice ruling.

EU accuses Meta of breaching antitrust rules

European Union regulators accused social media company Meta Platforms on Monday of breaching the bloc’s new digital competition rule book by forcing Facebook and Instagram users to choose between seeing ads or paying to avoid them.

EU accuses Meta of breaking digital rules with ad-free option

Meta, the parent firm of Facebook, will not rule out blocking news content in Australia should the government slap licensing fees. The regional policy director at Meta, Mia Garlick, gave testimony to this end at a parliamentary hearing on Friday.

Asked if Meta would block news content in the country, Garlick said "all options are on the table".&nbsp;

"There's a large number of channels that people can get news content from," Garlick told the inquiry.

She said Meta was waiting for Canberra to decide on applying an untested 2021 law that gives the government powers to compel US tech giants to pay fees to media outlets for links.

These comments are the clearest sign to date that it might take on a similar aggressive stance in Australia as it did last year in Canada at the tabling of such legislation.&nbsp;

Meta cut deals with Australian media companies including News Corp and the Australian Broadcasting Corp when the law was brought in Australia, but has since announced it won't renew these deals beyond 2024.

The Australian assistant treasurer has been left to decide whether to compel Meta FB to pay for news content. The assistant treasurer claimed that Meta seems to abide by the law only when it best serves the company.

Garlick explained that Meta might block news, as whatever it did would still be in compliance with the law. She added that Meta adheres to various laws, including tax, safety, and privacy laws, and therefore, the kind of compliance will differ in case this law is fully enacted.

"Every other law - tax laws, safety laws, privacy laws - we work to comply with," she said. "It's just compliance would look slightly different in relation to this law if it's fully enacted."

On the handling of misinformation and scams by Meta, Garlick said the content moderation centers cater to it from outside Australia, but there are reporting processes in place for Australians. She responded to concerns about scam ads-like those featuring Australian mining billionaire Andrew Forrest-by pointing out that detecting and stopping scams is very challenging, but Meta is indeed doing so.

How could Meta call itself an advertising business when "some ads sell lies", asked Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

"We have policies and systems and tools to do everything we can to prevent those ads," Garlick replied.

Meta, the parent firm of Facebook, will not rule out blocking news content in Australia should the government slap licensing fees. The regional policy director at Meta, Mia Garlick, gave testimony to this end at a parliamentary hearing on Friday.

Meta, the parent firm of Facebook, will not rule out blocking news content in Australia should the government slap licensing fees. The regional policy director at Meta, Mia Garlick, gave testimony to this end at a parliamentary hearing on Friday. Asked if Meta would block news content in the country, Garlick said "all options are on the table". "There's a large number of channels that people can get news content from," Garlick told the inquiry. She said Meta was waiting for Canberra to decide on applying an untested 2021 law that gives the government powers to compel US tech giants to pay fees to media outlets for links. These comments are the clearest sign to date that it might take on a similar aggressive stance in Australia as it did last year in Canada at the tabling of such legislation. Meta cut deals with Australian media companies including News Corp and the Australian Broadcasting Corp when the law was brought in Australia, but has since announced it won't renew these deals beyond 2024. The Australian assistant treasurer has been left to decide whether to compel Meta FB to pay for news content. The assistant treasurer claimed that Meta seems to abide by the law only when it best serves the company. Garlick explained that Meta might block news, as whatever it did would still be in compliance with the law. She added that Meta adheres to various laws, including tax, safety, and privacy laws, and therefore, the kind of compliance will differ in case this law is fully enacted. "Every other law - tax laws, safety laws, privacy laws - we work to comply with," she said. "It's just compliance would look slightly different in relation to this law if it's fully enacted." On the handling of misinformation and scams by Meta, Garlick said the content moderation centers cater to it from outside Australia, but there are reporting processes in place for Australians. She responded to concerns about scam ads-like those featuring Australian mining billionaire Andrew Forrest-by pointing out that detecting and stopping scams is very challenging, but Meta is indeed doing so. How could Meta call itself an advertising business when "some ads sell lies", asked Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young. "We have policies and systems and tools to do everything we can to prevent those ads," Garlick replied.

Meta's bold move: news blackout looms over Australia's licensing fee standoff

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Monday (June 17) called for warning labels to be placed on social media apps to alert users, especially youths, of the dangers associated with the use of such applications.&nbsp;

<h2>'Surgeon General's warning label'</h2>

In an opinion piece he penned for the New York Times, Murthy pointed out that while&nbsp;a warning label alone might not alleviate all the issues around&nbsp;social&nbsp;media, it could at least increase awareness&nbsp;and perhaps change behaviour — much like the impact warning labels have had on tobacco.&nbsp;

"It is time to require a surgeon general's warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents," wrote Murthy.&nbsp;

Such a step would not be carried out on Murthy's advice alone and would need the US Congress legislation.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-slams-republicans-over-deceptive-cheapfake-videos-of-bidens-mental-decline-732657">White House slams Republicans over deceptive 'cheapfake' videos of Biden's alleged mental decline</a>

<h2>Social media and the threats children face online</h2>

The recent call by Murthy for a warning label is part of broader concerns around growing mental health problems among youngsters stemming from the use of social media, reports Reuters.

Although social media companies such as TikTok, Snap, and Meta Platforms (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) have yet to comment on Murthy's proposal, they have already got into hot water with policymakers over online child safety.

Previously, in January, US Senators&nbsp;grilled the CEOs&nbsp;of the three companies about online child safety. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham had even accused them of having "blood on your hands," for failing to protect young users from sexual predators.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/florida-bans-children-under-14-from-using-social-media-14-15-year-olds-will-need-parental-consent-704218" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/florida-bans-children-under-14-from-using-social-media-14-15-year-olds-will-need-parental-consent-704218&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwitrt6FteSGAxWZslYBHRJoDGMQFnoECAAQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw0hqGVmfU6caEQWS-EDVq0M&amp;arm=e&amp;fexp=72519171,72519168,72638199,72638200" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/florida-bans-children-under-14-from-using-social-media-14-15-year-olds-will-need-parental-consent-704218" target="_blank">Florida&nbsp;bans&nbsp;children&nbsp;under 14 from using social media</a>

The concerns have also led to some US states regulating social media use by minors. New York recently passed legislation restricting certain algorithmic content for those under 18 without parental consent. In Florida, a bill passed in March requires children aged 14 and 15 to receive parental consent for the use of social media; children under 14 are banned from using such apps.

Critics of social media include youth advocates and lawmakers, who say it is breeding shortened attention spans, a negative body image&nbsp;and heightened susceptibility to online bullying and predators. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Monday (June 17) called for warning labels to be placed on social media apps to alert users, especially youths, of the dangers associated with the use of such applications.

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Monday (June 17) called for warning labels to be placed on social media apps to alert users, especially youths, of the dangers associated with the use of such applications. 'Surgeon General's warning label' In an opinion piece he penned for the New York Times, Murthy pointed out that while a warning label alone might not alleviate all the issues around social media, it could at least increase awareness and perhaps change behaviour — much like the impact warning labels have had on tobacco. "It is time to require a surgeon general's warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents," wrote Murthy. Such a step would not be carried out on Murthy's advice alone and would need the US Congress legislation. Also read | White House slams Republicans over deceptive 'cheapfake' videos of Biden's alleged mental decline Social media and the threats children face online The recent call by Murthy for a warning label is part of broader concerns around growing mental health problems among youngsters stemming from the use of social media, reports Reuters. Although social media companies such as TikTok, Snap, and Meta Platforms (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) have yet to comment on Murthy's proposal, they have already got into hot water with policymakers over online child safety. Previously, in January, US Senators grilled the CEOs of the three companies about online child safety. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham had even accused them of having "blood on your hands," for failing to protect young users from sexual predators. Also read | Florida bans children under 14 from using social media The concerns have also led to some US states regulating social media use by minors. New York recently passed legislation restricting certain algorithmic content for those under 18 without parental consent. In Florida, a bill passed in March requires children aged 14 and 15 to receive parental consent for the use of social media; children under 14 are banned from using such apps. Critics of social media include youth advocates and lawmakers, who say it is breeding shortened attention spans, a negative body image and heightened susceptibility to online bullying and predators. (With inputs from agencies)

Warning labels on social media? Vivek Murthy calls for 'surgeon general's warning label' for child safety

Meta has reported that Facebook is attracting its most young adult users in 3 years. More than 40 million us and Canadian adults to aged 18 to 29 now check Facebook daily.

Meta's Facebook sees highest number of young adult users in three years

Open AI, the creators of ChatGPT and Meta, which is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp has said that they have acted on content which is being used to influence Indian elections and further Khalistani propaganda.

OpenAI highlighted in their report "AI and Covert Influence Operations: Latest Trends" that they disrupted activities of an Israeli commercial company, STOIC which was involved in generating content related to the Gaza conflict and Indian elections.&nbsp;

Initially targeting audiences in Canada, the US, and Israel with content in English and Hebrew, STOIC shifted its focus to India in early May, generating English-language web articles and social media comments critical of the ruling BJP party and supportive of the opposition Congress party.&nbsp;

OpenAI stated, "in May, we disrupted some activity focused on the Indian elections less than 24 hours after it began."

The report added, "the network began generating comments that focused on India, criticized the ruling BJP party and praised the opposition Congress party."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/meta-reveals-how-china-hosted-facebook-accounts-to-create-pro-khalistan-discord-727433">Meta reveals how China hosted Facebook accounts to create pro-Khalistan discord</a>

Simultaneously, Meta's "Adversarial Threat Report" revealed the removal of multiple accounts linked to a network originating in China supporting Khalistani propaganda. Meta's report said it removed "37 Facebook accounts, 13 Pages, five Groups, and nine accounts on Instagram for violating our policy against coordinated inauthentic behavior."&nbsp;

The network targeted the global Sikh community across various countries, including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, the UK, and Nigeria. 
&nbsp; 
The operation "used compromised and fake accounts – some of which were detected and disabled by our automated systems prior to our investigation – to pose as Sikhs, post content and manage Pages and Groups" and "appeared to have created a fictitious activist movement called Operation K which called for pro-Sikh protests, including in New Zealand and Australia".

Also watch |&nbsp;India elections 2024: Meta launches India-specific elections operations centre

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The report said that "they posted primarily in English and Hindi about news and current events, including images likely manipulated by photo editing tools or generated by artificial intelligence, in addition to posts about floods in the Punjab region, the Sikh community worldwide", Khalistani terrorism, killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and "criticism of the Indian government."

The scale of the operation was relatively limited, with about 2,700 accounts following one or more of the affected Facebook Pages, 1,300 accounts joining the Groups, and fewer than 100 accounts following the Instagram profiles. Meta emphasised that "we found and removed this activity early, before it was able to build an audience among authentic communities."

Open AI, the creators of ChatGPT and Meta, which is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp has said that they have acted on content which is being used to influence Indian elections and further Khalistani propaganda.

Open AI, the creators of ChatGPT and Meta, which is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp has said that they have acted on content which is being used to influence Indian elections and further Khalistani propaganda. OpenAI highlighted in their report "AI and Covert Influence Operations: Latest Trends" that they disrupted activities of an Israeli commercial company, STOIC which was involved in generating content related to the Gaza conflict and Indian elections. Initially targeting audiences in Canada, the US, and Israel with content in English and Hebrew, STOIC shifted its focus to India in early May, generating English-language web articles and social media comments critical of the ruling BJP party and supportive of the opposition Congress party. OpenAI stated, "in May, we disrupted some activity focused on the Indian elections less than 24 hours after it began." The report added, "the network began generating comments that focused on India, criticized the ruling BJP party and praised the opposition Congress party." Also read | Meta reveals how China hosted Facebook accounts to create pro-Khalistan discord Simultaneously, Meta's "Adversarial Threat Report" revealed the removal of multiple accounts linked to a network originating in China supporting Khalistani propaganda. Meta's report said it removed "37 Facebook accounts, 13 Pages, five Groups, and nine accounts on Instagram for violating our policy against coordinated inauthentic behavior." The network targeted the global Sikh community across various countries, including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, the UK, and Nigeria. The operation "used compromised and fake accounts – some of which were detected and disabled by our automated systems prior to our investigation – to pose as Sikhs, post content and manage Pages and Groups" and "appeared to have created a fictitious activist movement called Operation K which called for pro-Sikh protests, including in New Zealand and Australia". Also watch | India elections 2024: Meta launches India-specific elections operations centre × The report said that "they posted primarily in English and Hindi about news and current events, including images likely manipulated by photo editing tools or generated by artificial intelligence, in addition to posts about floods in the Punjab region, the Sikh community worldwide", Khalistani terrorism, killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and "criticism of the Indian government." The scale of the operation was relatively limited, with about 2,700 accounts following one or more of the affected Facebook Pages, 1,300 accounts joining the Groups, and fewer than 100 accounts following the Instagram profiles. Meta emphasised that "we found and removed this activity early, before it was able to build an audience among authentic communities."

OpenAI disrupts attempts made by Israel-based company to interfere in India elections

China is accused of hosting a cluster of fake Facebook and Instagram accounts which targeted the Sikh community across the world to propagate pro-Khalistan sentiments.&nbsp;

Facebook and Instagram-owner Meta said in its 'Adversarial Threat Report' that they removed 37 Facebook accounts, 13 pages, five groups and nine Instagram accounts for violating its policy against "coordinated inauthentic behaviour".&nbsp;

"This network originated in China and targeted the global Sikh community, including in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, the UK, and Nigeria," Meta said in its Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-framed-india-in-pro-khalistan-leader-nijjars-assassination-alleges-us-based-chinese-blogger-644388">China framed India in pro-Khalistan leader Nijjar`s `assassination`, alleges US-based Chinese blogger</a>

Meta added that this activity included several clusters of fake accounts originating from China that targeted India and the Tibet region.&nbsp;

"Some of these clusters amplified one another with most of their engagement coming from their own fake accounts, likely to make this campaign more popular than it was," Meta report added, reflecting the way the Khalistani separatist movement remains deeply denounced within the Sikh community itself.&nbsp;

Also watch |&nbsp;Gravitas | Did China hack into Indian government offices?

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"This operation used compromised and fake accounts -- some of which were detected and disabled by our automated systems prior to our investigation -- to pose as Sikhs, post content and manage Pages and Groups," Meta further said.

<h2>China behind fictitious 'Operation K' online movement</h2>

China-based network created a fictitious Operation K which called for "pro-Sikh protests", including in New Zealand and Australia, the&nbsp;Meta report added.

It also&nbsp;claimed that it found and removed this 'Operation K' activity before it could build an audience among authentic communities.

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META says it removed China linked FB, Insta accounts that targeted Global Sikh Community. These accounts posted in English, Hindi on 'Khalistan 
movement, killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar &amp; criticism of the Indian government'. Excerpts from the report: <a href="https://t.co/kNxRCgsMeq">pic.twitter.com/kNxRCgsMeq</a>
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) <a href="https://twitter.com/sidhant/status/1796502527195898097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2024</a></blockquote>
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"They posted primarily in English and Hindi about news and current events, including images likely manipulated by photo editing tools or generated by artificial intelligence, in addition to posts about floods in the Punjab region, the Sikh community worldwide, the Khalistan independence movement, the assassination of [Khalistani terrorist] Hardeep Singh Nijjar and criticism of the Indian government," Meta said.

China is accused of hosting a cluster of fake Facebook and Instagram accounts which targeted the Sikh community across the world to propagate pro-Khalistan sentiments.

China is accused of hosting a cluster of fake Facebook and Instagram accounts which targeted the Sikh community across the world to propagate pro-Khalistan sentiments. Facebook and Instagram-owner Meta said in its 'Adversarial Threat Report' that they removed 37 Facebook accounts, 13 pages, five groups and nine Instagram accounts for violating its policy against "coordinated inauthentic behaviour". "This network originated in China and targeted the global Sikh community, including in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, the UK, and Nigeria," Meta said in its Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report. Also read | China framed India in pro-Khalistan leader Nijjar`s `assassination`, alleges US-based Chinese blogger Meta added that this activity included several clusters of fake accounts originating from China that targeted India and the Tibet region. "Some of these clusters amplified one another with most of their engagement coming from their own fake accounts, likely to make this campaign more popular than it was," Meta report added, reflecting the way the Khalistani separatist movement remains deeply denounced within the Sikh community itself. Also watch | Gravitas | Did China hack into Indian government offices? × "This operation used compromised and fake accounts -- some of which were detected and disabled by our automated systems prior to our investigation -- to pose as Sikhs, post content and manage Pages and Groups," Meta further said. China behind fictitious 'Operation K' online movement China-based network created a fictitious Operation K which called for "pro-Sikh protests", including in New Zealand and Australia, the Meta report added. It also claimed that it found and removed this 'Operation K' activity before it could build an audience among authentic communities. META says it removed China linked FB, Insta accounts that targeted Global Sikh Community. These accounts posted in English, Hindi on 'Khalistan movement, killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar & criticism of the Indian government'. Excerpts from the report: pic.twitter.com/kNxRCgsMeq — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 31, 2024 × "They posted primarily in English and Hindi about news and current events, including images likely manipulated by photo editing tools or generated by artificial intelligence, in addition to posts about floods in the Punjab region, the Sikh community worldwide, the Khalistan independence movement, the assassination of [Khalistani terrorist] Hardeep Singh Nijjar and criticism of the Indian government," Meta said.

Meta reveals how China hosted Facebook accounts to create pro-Khalistan discord

US officials are warning big tech companies like Google and Meta about potential risks and espionage by Chinese repair ships in the undersea cables that carry internet traffic across the Pacific Ocean.

Repair ships can tap data through undersea cables: Reports | US warns Google of Chinese repair ships

Meta's Facebook and Instagram applications were down for thousands of users worldwide on Wednesday (May15), according to outage tracking website Downdetector.

Earlier in March this year, Meta experienced a technical issue that resulted in login disruptions for a significant number of Facebook and Instagram users.

According to the Downdetector data, there were over 18,000 reports of users facing problems with accessing the Instagram application.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-attempt-to-recreate-50000-year-old-ancient-herpes-viruses-721541">Scientists attempt to recreate 50,000 year-old ancient 'herpes' viruses</a>

Around 59 per cent of users faced issues in accessing the Instagram app, while 34 per cent faced server connection issues and seven per cent were not able to log in.

The website collates status reports from several sources, including users.

The internet monitoring group NetBlocks also shared a post on X informing that the two social media websites were currently experiencing ‘international outages’.&nbsp;

The post on X by NetBlocks stated, "Meta platforms including Instagram and Facebook are currently experiencing international outages; incident not related to country-level internet disruptions or filtering #InstagramDown #FacebookDown".

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ℹ️ Note: Meta platforms including Instagram and Facebook are currently experiencing international outages; incident not related to country-level internet disruptions or filtering <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InstagramDown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InstagramDown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FacebookDown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FacebookDown</a> <a href="https://t.co/ubAvqkpjj9">pic.twitter.com/ubAvqkpjj9</a>
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/netblocks/status/1790558316055183417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Several users took to X to share the issues they were facing with Facebook and Instagram.

Some users encountered a message saying "Something went wrong. There's an issue and the page could not be loaded," while others saw an "error loading media" message.

Netizens reacted to Instagram and Facebook outage

One user wrote, “anyone else's instagram and facebook playing silly buggers? down detector has them both playing up.”

Another one said, “Instagram is down and it’s not working properly. Apparently Facebook is down, but I’m not having any issues with it. I hope they fix it soon. #instagramisdown.”

A third wrote, “Everyone rushing to Twitter/X to see if Facebook/Instagram is down.”

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Everyone rushing to Twitter/X to see if Facebook/Instagram is down. 
 
<a href="https://t.co/USycPvoGut">https://t.co/USycPvoGut</a>
— AZ Intel | Personal (@Andreaz_Intel) <a href="https://twitter.com/Andreaz_Intel/status/1790558874426036363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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(With inputs from agencies)

Meta's Facebook and Instagram applications were down for thousands of users worldwide on Wednesday (May15), according to outage tracking website Downdetector. Earlier in March this year, Meta experienced a technical issue that resulted in login disruptions for a significant number of Facebook and Instagram users.

Meta's Facebook and Instagram applications were down for thousands of users worldwide on Wednesday (May15), according to outage tracking website Downdetector. Earlier in March this year, Meta experienced a technical issue that resulted in login disruptions for a significant number of Facebook and Instagram users. According to the Downdetector data, there were over 18,000 reports of users facing problems with accessing the Instagram application. Also read: Scientists attempt to recreate 50,000 year-old ancient 'herpes' viruses Around 59 per cent of users faced issues in accessing the Instagram app, while 34 per cent faced server connection issues and seven per cent were not able to log in. The website collates status reports from several sources, including users. The internet monitoring group NetBlocks also shared a post on X informing that the two social media websites were currently experiencing ‘international outages’. The post on X by NetBlocks stated, "Meta platforms including Instagram and Facebook are currently experiencing international outages; incident not related to country-level internet disruptions or filtering #InstagramDown #FacebookDown". ℹ️ Note: Meta platforms including Instagram and Facebook are currently experiencing international outages; incident not related to country-level internet disruptions or filtering #InstagramDown #FacebookDown pic.twitter.com/ubAvqkpjj9 — NetBlocks (@netblocks) May 15, 2024 × Several users took to X to share the issues they were facing with Facebook and Instagram. Some users encountered a message saying "Something went wrong. There's an issue and the page could not be loaded," while others saw an "error loading media" message. Netizens reacted to Instagram and Facebook outage One user wrote, “anyone else's instagram and facebook playing silly buggers? down detector has them both playing up.” Another one said, “Instagram is down and it’s not working properly. Apparently Facebook is down, but I’m not having any issues with it. I hope they fix it soon. #instagramisdown.” A third wrote, “Everyone rushing to Twitter/X to see if Facebook/Instagram is down.” Everyone rushing to Twitter/X to see if Facebook/Instagram is down. https://t.co/USycPvoGut — AZ Intel | Personal (@Andreaz_Intel) May 15, 2024 × (With inputs from agencies)

Instagram, Facebook down for thousands of users globally

US Presidential candidate Robert F Keneddy has filed a lawsuit that claims Meta has interferd in the US Presidential elections - locking one of his political advertisments. The lawsuit has been filed in the Federal Court of San Francisco.

Robert F Keneddy Jr sues Meta, accuse of blocking his political advertisment

According to report in March Meta got over 27,000 complaints on Facebook and Instagram from India about synthetic content. Watch in for more details!

Meta India: 27,000 complaints in March, fake FB & Instagram profiles key concern

Let's take a look at all the news coming in from the world of technology on WION World DNA.

Telegram unblocks chatbots used by Ukraine's services | EU to probe Meta's handling of disinfomation

The European Union on Tuesday launched an investigation into Meta's Facebook and Instagram over concerns the platforms are failing to counter disinformation ahead of EU elections in June. Watch in for more details!

EU probe Meta over election-related content

The European Union has launched a probe against US tech giant Meta over allegations that it has not done enough to rein in disinformation and foreign interference&nbsp;ahead of&nbsp;upcoming EU elections. The European Commission said Monday (Apr 29) the investigation was focussed on Meta’s policy towards foreign advertisers&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;the closure of a tool widely used by journalists and civil groups to monitor trends on the social media site.

<h2>Is Meta violating EU’s Digital Services Act?</h2>

With the latest action, the regulators are flexing the Digital Services Act,&nbsp;the&nbsp;EU’s prime law governing online platforms.&nbsp;

Meta is drawing flak for lowering the visibility of political content in the users’&nbsp;feed&nbsp;as EU regulators say this could be violating DSA’s transparency rules. Additionally, they claim Meta is not providing users with tools to report illegal content on the platform, another violation of the DSA.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwiHkqaK8ueFAxWYjK8BHeAvBF4QxfQBKAB6BAgPEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/metas-whatsapp-and-threads-removed-from-apple-app-store-in-china-712897" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/technology/metas-whatsapp-and-threads-removed-from-apple-app-store-in-china-712897&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiHkqaK8ueFAxWYjK8BHeAvBF4QxfQBKAB6BAgPEAE">Meta`s WhatsApp and Threads removed from Apple app store in China</a>

Meta also discontinued CrowdTangle, a widely-used tool&nbsp;used by civil society groups&nbsp;to track trending conversations on Facebook and Instagram.&nbsp;The tool will go offline after&nbsp;August 14.

EU says Meta’s decision to discontinue the tool without providing an efficient alternative “could result in damage to civic discourse and electoral processes in relation to the mis- and disinformation tracking capabilities, identification of voter interference and suppression, and the overall real-time transparency provided to fact-checkers, journalists&nbsp;and&nbsp;other relevant&nbsp; electoral&nbsp;stakeholders.”

<h2>How can&nbsp;EU punish Meta?</h2>

As per DSA, if allegations against Meta are confirmed, the&nbsp;EU can impose fines of up to 6&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of the company’s total global revenue.

Meta has said the company will cooperate with the EU authorities.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwiHkqaK8ueFAxWYjK8BHeAvBF4QxfQBKAB6BAgIEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/metas-stock-falls-as-higher-ai-spending-modest-revenue-forecast-disappoints-investors-714742" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/metas-stock-falls-as-higher-ai-spending-modest-revenue-forecast-disappoints-investors-714742&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiHkqaK8ueFAxWYjK8BHeAvBF4QxfQBKAB6BAgIEAE">Meta`s stock falls as higher AI spending, modest revenue forecast disappoint investors</a>

“We have a well-established process for identifying and mitigating risks on our platforms,” a spokesperson for the company said. “We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the European Commission and providing them with further details of this work,” the statement added.

Last fall, Meta submitted&nbsp;required documents to the EU in which it highlighted how it plans to tackle risks associated with its online tools. However, the concerns are that Meta has failed to do its job diligently.

(With inputs from agencies)

The European Union has launched a probe against US tech giant Meta over allegations that it has not done enough to rein in disinformation and foreign interference ahead of upcoming EU elections.

The European Union has launched a probe against US tech giant Meta over allegations that it has not done enough to rein in disinformation and foreign interference ahead of upcoming EU elections. The European Commission said Monday (Apr 29) the investigation was focussed on Meta’s policy towards foreign advertisers as well as the closure of a tool widely used by journalists and civil groups to monitor trends on the social media site. Is Meta violating EU’s Digital Services Act? With the latest action, the regulators are flexing the Digital Services Act, the EU’s prime law governing online platforms. Meta is drawing flak for lowering the visibility of political content in the users’ feed as EU regulators say this could be violating DSA’s transparency rules. Additionally, they claim Meta is not providing users with tools to report illegal content on the platform, another violation of the DSA. Also read: Meta`s WhatsApp and Threads removed from Apple app store in China Meta also discontinued CrowdTangle, a widely-used tool used by civil society groups to track trending conversations on Facebook and Instagram. The tool will go offline after August 14. EU says Meta’s decision to discontinue the tool without providing an efficient alternative “could result in damage to civic discourse and electoral processes in relation to the mis- and disinformation tracking capabilities, identification of voter interference and suppression, and the overall real-time transparency provided to fact-checkers, journalists and other relevant electoral stakeholders.” How can EU punish Meta? As per DSA, if allegations against Meta are confirmed, the EU can impose fines of up to 6 per cent of the company’s total global revenue. Meta has said the company will cooperate with the EU authorities. Also read: Meta`s stock falls as higher AI spending, modest revenue forecast disappoint investors “We have a well-established process for identifying and mitigating risks on our platforms,” a spokesperson for the company said. “We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the European Commission and providing them with further details of this work,” the statement added. Last fall, Meta submitted required documents to the EU in which it highlighted how it plans to tackle risks associated with its online tools. However, the concerns are that Meta has failed to do its job diligently. (With inputs from agencies)

EU flexes arms as it launches probe against Meta over disinformation concerns

The Meta stock price took a bit of a beating dropping nearly about 13% after the company's earnings report. Investors were spooked by Meta's increased focus on artificial intelligence and the significant spending that is required for this ambitious plan. The CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized the long-term potential of AI but has cautioned that these Investments would not translate into immediate revenue and this lack of short-term Financial gains has spooked investors wiping nearly $170 billion of Meta's market value.

Microsoft & Alphabet stocks fall on Meta earnings spillover

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, faced a downturn in its stock value on Wednesday as it revealed projections of increased expenses and revenue figures below market expectations. <o:p></o:p>

According to Reuters, the announcement prompted a loss of about $200 billion in its market capitalisation, with shares falling by approximately 15 per cent in after-hours trading. <o:p></o:p>

This decline saw Meta's market cap plummet to around $1 trillion, noting one of the most substantial single-day losses in market value for a US company. <o:p></o:p>

The drop was slightly away from the record set on February 3, 2022, when Meta suffered a $232 billion one-day loss. <o:p></o:p>

Meta's discouraging performance rippled through the tech industry, with shares of Alphabet and Microsoft also experiencing declines in extended trade. <o:p></o:p>

Concerns increased among investors that the growing costs associated with the race in artificial intelligence (AI) might be outweighing the projected benefits for these tech giants. <o:p></o:p>

This apprehension comes ahead of Alphabet and Microsoft's financial reports scheduled for Thursday.<o:p></o:p>

The company disclosed its revenue forecast for the April-June quarter, estimating it to range between $36.5 billion and $39 billion, with a midpoint of $37.8 billion. <o:p></o:p>

However, these figures fell short of analysts' projections, which averaged at $38.3 billion. <o:p></o:p>

Meta attributed the anticipated increase in expenses to support investments in new AI products and the requisite computing infrastructure. <o:p></o:p>

Moreover, it indicated a continued upward trajectory in spending into the next fiscal year, with the total expense forecast for 2024 raised to $96 billion-$99 billion. <o:p></o:p>

Additionally, Meta adjusted its 2024 capital expenditure projection to a range of $30 billion-$40 billion, up from the previous estimate of $35 billion-$37 billion. <o:p></o:p>

CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the company's quest to expand its investment portfolio in AI, acknowledging that these endeavours would precede substantial revenue generation from the new products. <o:p></o:p>

Mark Zuckerberg's remarks and the quarterly results tempered the optimism surrounding Meta's AI ventures, especially after a string of highly successful quarters for the social media giant. <o:p></o:p>

While the company's AI investments hold significant potential, investors remain cautious, wary of the extended timeline for returns on these investments. <o:p></o:p>

However, analysts note that Meta's entrenched user base across its existing platforms could provide a competitive edge in the AI landscape, particularly concerning eventual monetisation through its advertising ecosystem. <o:p></o:p>

Despite the focus on advancing AI technologies, Meta continues to enhance its advertising capabilities, incorporating AI tools and short video formats to drive revenue growth. <o:p></o:p>

However, analysts caution that Meta must not neglect its core advertising activities amidst its ambitious AI initiatives. <o:p></o:p>

The company's Reality Labs division, oriented towards the metaverse, fell short of expectations in the first quarter, recording sales of $440 million. <o:p></o:p>

While this represented a 30 per cent increase year-on-year, it failed to meet the anticipated revenue of $475 million.<o:p></o:p>

Additionally, Reality Labs incurred a loss of $3.8 billion in the quarter, on track to match the $16 billion loss incurred over the course of 2023. <o:p></o:p>

Zuckerberg outlined potential monetization strategies for Meta's AI chatbot, including its integration into business messaging and customer support services. <o:p></o:p>

Furthermore, Meta stands to potentially benefit from regulatory pressures on its competitor TikTok, which faces the prospect of a US ban. <o:p></o:p>

However, Meta's CFO Susan Li refrained from assessing the business impact of this development on its rival.<o:p></o:p>

Despite the market's reaction to its projections, Meta released a first-quarter revenue of $36.5 billion, in line with expectations. <o:p></o:p>

The company's daily active people (DAP) metric, used to track unique users across its apps, grew by 7 per cent, slightly lower than the 8 per cent growth recorded in the preceding quarter. <o:p></o:p>

Meta also opted to disclose only the DAP figure for user growth, foregoing the previous practice of breaking out numbers for its flagship social network Facebook. <o:p></o:p>

(With inputs from Reuters)<o:p></o:p>

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, faced a downturn in its stock value on Wednesday as it revealed projections of increased expenses and revenue figures below market expectations.

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, faced a downturn in its stock value on Wednesday as it revealed projections of increased expenses and revenue figures below market expectations. According to Reuters, the announcement prompted a loss of about $200 billion in its market capitalisation, with shares falling by approximately 15 per cent in after-hours trading. This decline saw Meta's market cap plummet to around $1 trillion, noting one of the most substantial single-day losses in market value for a US company. The drop was slightly away from the record set on February 3, 2022, when Meta suffered a $232 billion one-day loss. Meta's discouraging performance rippled through the tech industry, with shares of Alphabet and Microsoft also experiencing declines in extended trade. Concerns increased among investors that the growing costs associated with the race in artificial intelligence (AI) might be outweighing the projected benefits for these tech giants. This apprehension comes ahead of Alphabet and Microsoft's financial reports scheduled for Thursday. The company disclosed its revenue forecast for the April-June quarter, estimating it to range between $36.5 billion and $39 billion, with a midpoint of $37.8 billion. However, these figures fell short of analysts' projections, which averaged at $38.3 billion. Meta attributed the anticipated increase in expenses to support investments in new AI products and the requisite computing infrastructure. Moreover, it indicated a continued upward trajectory in spending into the next fiscal year, with the total expense forecast for 2024 raised to $96 billion-$99 billion. Additionally, Meta adjusted its 2024 capital expenditure projection to a range of $30 billion-$40 billion, up from the previous estimate of $35 billion-$37 billion. CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the company's quest to expand its investment portfolio in AI, acknowledging that these endeavours would precede substantial revenue generation from the new products. Mark Zuckerberg's remarks and the quarterly results tempered the optimism surrounding Meta's AI ventures, especially after a string of highly successful quarters for the social media giant. While the company's AI investments hold significant potential, investors remain cautious, wary of the extended timeline for returns on these investments. However, analysts note that Meta's entrenched user base across its existing platforms could provide a competitive edge in the AI landscape, particularly concerning eventual monetisation through its advertising ecosystem. Despite the focus on advancing AI technologies, Meta continues to enhance its advertising capabilities, incorporating AI tools and short video formats to drive revenue growth. However, analysts caution that Meta must not neglect its core advertising activities amidst its ambitious AI initiatives. The company's Reality Labs division, oriented towards the metaverse, fell short of expectations in the first quarter, recording sales of $440 million. While this represented a 30 per cent increase year-on-year, it failed to meet the anticipated revenue of $475 million. Additionally, Reality Labs incurred a loss of $3.8 billion in the quarter, on track to match the $16 billion loss incurred over the course of 2023. Zuckerberg outlined potential monetization strategies for Meta's AI chatbot, including its integration into business messaging and customer support services. Furthermore, Meta stands to potentially benefit from regulatory pressures on its competitor TikTok, which faces the prospect of a US ban. However, Meta's CFO Susan Li refrained from assessing the business impact of this development on its rival. Despite the market's reaction to its projections, Meta released a first-quarter revenue of $36.5 billion, in line with expectations. The company's daily active people (DAP) metric, used to track unique users across its apps, grew by 7 per cent, slightly lower than the 8 per cent growth recorded in the preceding quarter. Meta also opted to disclose only the DAP figure for user growth, foregoing the previous practice of breaking out numbers for its flagship social network Facebook. (With inputs from Reuters)

Meta's stock falls as higher AI spending, modest revenue forecast disappoint investors

Meta’s stock price took a nosedive after the company released its first-quarter earnings report. Investors reacted negatively to forecasts of higher expenses and lower-than-expected revenue. The stock price drop wiped nearly $200 billion off Meta's market capitalisation. This decrease brings Meta's market value down to roughly $1 trillion.